THE  KNIGHTS  SUN 


These  Facts  are  of  Tre 
mendous  Import¬ 
ance  to  You 


— if  you  want  to  enjoy  a  modern,  efficient, 
convenient  and  economical  lighting  sys¬ 
tem  in  your  home 

Acetylene  is  the  best  artificial  light  and  cooking  fuel 
yet  discovered. 

The  perfected  “Northern  Light”  System  puts  acety¬ 
lene  on  tap  in  any  home  with  the  utmost  safety  and 
convenience — 

— with  every  possible  chance  of  trouble  absolutely 
done  away  with — because —  . 

— the  “Northern  Light”  Generator  can  be  refilled 
with  carbide  and  water  without  admitting  air — and 
without  air,  pure  acetylene  gas  is  as  harmless  as  a 
dove ; 

— this  generator  is  placed  in  the  ground,  away  from 
the  buildings,  which  is  the  correct  place  for  any  gas 
making  machine. 

— it  is  made  of  material  that  will  withstand  the  cor¬ 
rosive  influence  and  acids  of  the  earth; 

— it  will  work  in  the  coldest  climate  without  danger 
of  freezing. 

On  the  following  pages  these  facts  and 
many  others  are  substantiated.  Read  this 
book  from  cover  to  cover.  You  will  be  well 
repaid  by  what  you  learn. 

The  Glefton  Company 

Owatonna,  Minnesota 


Copyright  1917  by  the  Clefton  Co. 

iiiniiiitiiliiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^^ 


N.ght  scene  showing  how  it  is  possible  to  place  lights  conveniently  both  in  the  buildings  and  outside.  One  “Northern 

L*ght  Generator  supplies  all  lights; — note  its  location  in  the  ground. 


IT  was  an  important  date  in  the  history  of  American  Indus¬ 
trial  Progress  when  the  hnal  tests  were  completed  on  the 
“Northern  Light”  Acetylene  Generator — the  first  and 
only  acetylene  generator  ever  manufactured  that  can  be 
refilled  with  carbide  and  water  without  admitting  air. 

On  that  (lay  a  new  era  in  the  acetylene  business  was  ushered  in — a 
new  world  was  o])ened  up  for  thousands  of  country  homes  whose  own¬ 
ers  up  to  this  time  had  denied  themselves  the  benefits  and  advantages  of 
an  acetylene  lighting  system  because  of  the  one  last  possible  objection. 

Even  before  this  rehlling  device  had  been  invented  and  jicrfected 
l)y  the  Clefton  Company  engineers,  the  “Northern  Light”  Pit  Generator 
Acetylene  Lighting  System  was  conceded  by  many  recognized  authori¬ 
ties  to  be  “the  best  of  its  kind  on  the  market”.  (The  secretary  of  the  Se¬ 
curity  Mutual  Lire  Insurance  Company  and  other  men  of  like  repute,  as 
well  as  many  owners  of  our  system,  said  so  in  so  many  words). 

Even  without  this  improvement,  it  had  been  made  so  safe  that  not 
one  accident  has  resulted  from  the  o])eration  of  the  thousands  that  are  in¬ 
stalled  in  country  homes  all  over  the  Union.  In  fact,  some  insurance 
companies  officials  went  so  far  as  to  declare  that  “the  ‘Northern  Light’ 
Acetylene  System,  as  installed  by  the  Clefton  Company  factory  experts 
is  safer  than  electric  light  as  installed  by  a  good  many  plumbers  and  en¬ 
gineers.” 

Now — with  the  refilling  of  the  Generator  made  even  safer,  easier 
and  more  convenient  for  you  than  before — the  last  possible  objection  to 
your  enjoying  the  benefits  and  advantages  of  our  acetylene  lighting  sys¬ 
tem  has  been  removed — leaving  not  a  shred  of  doubt  as  to  the  absolute 
safety  of  the  “Northern  Light”  Acetylene  Lighting  System. 

Consider  now,  what  this  means  to  you,  consider  the  advantages  of 
acetylene  over  other  systems  of  lighting. 

Quality  of  Acetylene  Light 

Professor  Pond  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  one  of  the 
world’s  foremost  authorities  on  this  subject,  says:  “In  quality,  acety¬ 
lene  is  the  nearest  approach  to  sunlight  that  we  know.  This  quality 
adapts  it  to  photographic  uses,  to  matching  colors,  and  doing  other 
work  at  night  which  is  im])ossible  with  other  illumination.  The  flame 
of  acetylene  is  absolutely  white  and  of  intense  brilliancy.” 

“Acetylene  most  closely  resembles  sunlight  in  composition  or  color, 
and  is  perfectly  steady,”  say  Leeds  &  Butterfield,  in  their  book  “Acety¬ 
lene,  Its  Generation  and  Use,”  the  leading  text  book  of  all  those  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  acetylene  appliances. 

These  facts  are  significant,  because  Nature  fitted  your  eyes  for  sun- 


As  In  safety,  there  is  no  other  system  to  be  used  in  the  country  that  is  ahead  of 
this  system. 


SECURITY  MUTUAL  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO. 


4 


‘‘‘‘Acetylene  Light  is  the  Nearest 


light.  While  acetylene  light  is  powerful,  it  is  not  only  the  most  pleas¬ 
ing  but  the  easiest  on  the  eyes  of  any  artificial  light. 

Its  Cheering  Influence 

Acetylene  light  is  beautiful — and  it  beautifies  everything  it  touches. 
It  shows  up  colors  in  their  true  values — it  enhances  color  schemes  in 
rugs,  carpets,  walls  and  dress  patterns.  It  is  a  very  proud  housewife 
who  can  reach  up,  when  company  comes,  and  turn  on  a  couple  of  white 
acetylene  lights.  For  nothing  excites  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  a 
visitor  like  a  soft,  brilliant  light  that  illuminates  the  room  with  a  warm, 
cheerful,  pleasing  glow. 

Everyone  agrees  that  the  “Evening  Hour”  is  the  one  period  of  the 
day  that  should  be  most  attractive — it’s  the  time  when  all  the  members 
of  the  family  meet  for  recreation,  reading  and  talk.  What  better 
thing  could  you  do  for  your  young  folks  than  to  throw  out  greasy,  feeble 
lamps  and  put  brilliant  acetylene  lights  in  their  place? 

A  room  full  of  white  light  has  a  wonderful  attraction  for  children.  It 
helps  to  keep  them  cheerful  and  contented.  Scientists  say  that  weak, 
yellow  lights  are  depressing  and  make  folks  grouchy  and  discontented. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  good  volume  of  beautiful  light  helps  to  make 
them  lively  and  happy.  It  is  commonly  said  that  one  reason  why  so 
many  young  people  leave  the  farm  is  because  they  are  attracted  by  the 
bright  lights  of  the  city  life. 

Acetylene  Light  Saves  Eyes  and  Health 

Eminent  eye  specialists  and  physicians 
know  that  the  majority  of  the  nervous 
diseases  come  from  eye  strain,  and  this 
because  the  artificial  yellow  light  pro¬ 
duced  by  kerosene,  gas  and  electricity,  is 
utterly  unlike  the  natural  sunlight. 

The  unflickering  white  acetylene  light 
made  ])ossible  by  the  “Northern  Eight” 
Pit  Generator,  enables  you  and  your  fam¬ 
ily  to  enjoy  the  evening  reading  and 
study  hours  without  straining  your  eyes 
or  taxing  your  nerves. 

Besides,  from  a  health  standpoint, 
acetylene  light  is  by  far  the  best  for  it 


We  have  a  nice  light  zvherever  and  zvhenever  it  is  needed. 

GUY  D.  DOTY,  Lake  City,  lozva. 


Approach  to  Sunlight'' — Prof,  Pond 


burns  up  less  of  the  life-giving  oxygen 
in  the  air  than  gasoline  and  oil  lamps, 
which  eat  up  the  air  and  cause  you  to 
breathe  an  acid  which  impairs  your 
health.  Read  what  the  authorities  we 
have  already  c|uoted  say  about  this: 

“Acetylene  exhausts,  vitiates  and  heats 
the  air  of  a  room  to  a  less  degree  than  do 
either  coal  gas,  oil,  or  candles,  hence  in 
confined  or  crowded  rooms,  the  air  will 
suffer  less  and  accordingly  be  better  for 
breathing,  if  acetylene  is  chosen  for  the 
illuminant.” — Leeds  &  Butterfield. 

“Light  for  light,  acetylene  illumination 
causes  much  less  elevation  of  tem])era- 
ture  in  the  atmosphere  of  rooms  than  do 
other  forms  of  lighting  by  gas  or  oil.  Acetylene  impoverishes  the  air 
only  one-fourth  as  much  and  i)ollutes  it  one-fourth  as  much  as  illumina¬ 
ting  gas.” — Professor  Pond. 

The  Convenience  of  Acetylene  With  a 
“Northern  Light”  System 
is  Unsurpassed 

All  “Northern  Light”  Systems  are  installed  with  friction  or  automa¬ 
tic  electric  ignitors.  No  need  to  have  matches  which,  through  careless 
handling,  are  a  constant  menace.  You  simply  press  a  button  or  pull  a 
chain  to  light  any  burner  or  fixture — and  you  can  have  fixtures,  chande¬ 
liers  or  domes  as  fine  and  beautiful  as  in  any  city  home. 

You  can  press  a  button  and  light  the  basement,  the  hallway,  attic  or 
upstairs.  You  can  go  upstairs  or  down  without  having  to  grope  in  the 
dark  and  risk  breaking  bones  by  stumbling  down  stairs.  The  children 
can  go  up  to  bed  without  carrying  lanterns,  lamps,  matches  or  candles, 
which  are  always  a  danger  in  their  hands  and  even  in  your  own. 

You  can  stand  in  the  kitchen,  on  the  porch,  or  in  any  part  of  the 
house,  and  by  pressing  a  button,  light  up  the  yard,  barn,  silo,  feed  stables 
or  any  other  farm  building — light  them  up  almost  as  bright  as  day  and 
without  the  least  fire  hazard.  “Northern  Light”  barn,  porch,  and  out¬ 
door  lights  are  enclosed  in  heavy  glass  globes  with  a  screen  below  and 
canopy  on  top,  thus  making  them  absolutely  fire  and  wind  proof.  They 


IVe  believe  the  “Northern  I.ight”  System  is  the  best — and  more  convenient  than 
electric,  as  you  can  use  the  same  gas  for  cooking  purposes. 

SECURITY  MUTUAL  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO. 


6 


The  Improved  Generator  Makes  the  ^'‘Northern 


are  so  completely  protected  that  they  can 
be  covered  with  hay  without  danger  of  it 
catching  fire.  Even  a  stiff  wind  cannot 
blow  them  out. 

Think  how  much  easier  and  more  com¬ 
fortable  it  will  be  to  do  after-dark  chores 
with  such  a  convenient  and  bright  light — 
how  much  easier  it  will  be  to  unhitch 
horses  on  cold,  dark  nights,  or  to  look 
after  sick  animals,  or  to  do  any  of  the 
many  other  evening  chores  that,  coming 
at  the  end  of  a  long  day  always  seem 
hardest.  Contrast  this  way  with  stumb¬ 
ling  along  under  the  dingy  light  of  a 
smoky  oil  lantern,  which  is  always  a  fire 
menace. 


Acetylene  the  Best  Cooking  Fuel 

You  can  have  the  convenience  of  a  gas  stove  like  city  folks.  Think 
of  the  convenience  and  comfort  of  a  hot  fire  instantly,  without  the  drudg¬ 
ery  of  carrying  in  the  fuel,  and  carrying  out  the  ashes,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  dirty  work  of  starting  the  wood  or  coal  fire,  causing  soiled  hands 
and  clothes.  Think  of  the  ])leasure,  when  company  comes,  of  preparing  a 
meal  with  neatness  and  dispatch.  With  acetylene  gas  the  women  folks 
need  not  swelter  during  the  hot  weather  in  an  over-heated  kitchen  as 
they  do  with  the  older  and  cruder  methods  of  our  forefathers,  but  they 
can  cook,  iron  or  wash  in  comfort  with  acetylene  gas.  Acetylene  thus 
overcomes  one  of  the  most  trying  duties  of  the  farm  wife.  Further, 
there  are  no  sooty  pots  or  ])ans  to  clean,  inasmuch  as  acetylene  gas  does 
not  smoke. 

The  housewife  can  ha\’e  the  coffee  all  made  and  the  eggs  done  to  a 
turn  in  five  minutes  after  jumping  out  of  bed — with  no  waiting  for  the 
stove  to  heat  and  no  kindling,  wood,  coal  or  ashes  to  fight  with. 

With  the  “Northern  Light”  system  you  can  have  one  of  our  gas 
irons,  which  not  only  saves  all  of  the  work  and  lost  time  in  walking 
back  and  forth  between  the  stove  and  the  ironing  board,  the  discomfort 
of  a  hot  stove  in  the  summer  time,  but  enables  you  to  keep  the  iron  at 
an  even  temperature  all  the  time.  Many  women  claim  that  it  saves  them 
fully  half  the  time  of  ironing. 

You  can  hardly  conceive  of  a  convenience  that  would  contribute 
more  to  the  health  and  happiness  of  the  women  folks,  and  you  must  re- 


1  do  not  think  the  lights  expensive  to  maintain,  just  as  cheap  as  kerosene. 

F.  E.  McINTlRE,  Winnebago,  Minn. 


Light''  the  Most  R{ficie?it  Lighting  System 


7 


member,  too,  that  home-made  acetylene  gives  you  this  perfect  cooking 
and  ironing  fuel,  in  addition  to  good  lights.  Other  systems  give  you 
lights  alone. 

The  saving  of  time,  trouble,  dirt  and  annoyance  in  cleaning,  filling 
and  trimming  dirty,  ill-smelling  kerosene  lamps,  is  alone  worth  the  price 
of  the  system.  This  applies  equally  to  gasoline  systems  that  require 
daily  attention.  In  the  average  rural  home  from  one-half  to  an  hour  per 
day  is  required  to  keep  the  lamps  cleaned,  properly  trimmed  and  filled. 
At  the  conservative  estimate  of  one-half  hour  per  day  or  three  hours  per 
week,  the  average  housewife  spends  156  hours  per  year  in  this  disagree¬ 
able  work — more  than  half  a  month  of  ten  hour  days ;  more  time  than 
the  average  farmer  spends  each  year  in  plowing.  Surely  the  house¬ 
wife’s  time  is  as  valuable  as  that  of  the  man.  Such  a  saving  of  time 
and  work,  in  addition  to  the  pleasure  of  entertaining  in  a  comfortable, 
brilliantly  lighted  home,  surely  appeals  to  the  ladies. 

With  all  these  comforts,  the  “Northern  Light”  Pit  Generator  Sys¬ 
tem  requires  very  little  time  and  attention, — very  much  less  than  any 
individual  electric  plant  or  other  lighting  system,  as  will  be  shown  farth¬ 
er  on  in  this  booklet.  About  3  or  4  times  a  year  you  take  about  an  hour 
to  refill  the  carbide  holder  and  pump  out  the  sludge.  These  are  both 
very  simple  and  easy  tasks  with  the  “Northern  Light”  Pit  Generator 
System,  because  of  two  of  our  many  perfected  features,  the  full  details 
of  which  we  explain  further  on. 

Acetylene  Light  is  the  CHEAPEST  as  Well  as  Best 

Acetylene  gas,  as  made  by  our  “North¬ 
ern  Light”  Pit  Generator,  costs  no  more 
than  any  other  artificial  illuminant,  and 
less  than  most  of  them,  including  kero¬ 
sene,  and  eliminates  all  of  the  attendant 
dangers.  The  cost  of  our  light  averages 
a  half  cent  per  hour  for  a  25-candle  power 
burner,  which  is  less  than  the  cost  of  the 
same  candle  power  produced  from  kero¬ 
sene  at  thirteen  cents  per  gallon. 

Think  of  it — the  best  artificial  light 
known — the  most  convenient  light,  the 
safest  light— all  for  the  same  or  less  mon¬ 
ey  than  inferior  lights.  Here  are  author- 
ative  facts  and  figures  that  will  enable 
you  to  prove  this  yourself. 


Our  "Northern  Lighf’  lighting  system  is  entirely  satisfactory.  I  would  seriously 
considerij^  leaving  the  farm,  if  we  must  go  back  to  kerosene  lighting  and  gasoline 
and  kerosene  for  summer  cooking. 

W.  J.  HADDOCK,  State  Representative,  Plaza,  N.  D. 


c? 


Acetylene  Pollutes  the  Air  Only  One-Fourth  as 


First  consider  this  wonderful  thing  about  acetylene — the  reason 
for  its  great  economy — it  is  over  ten  times  richer  than  city  gas.  A  hun¬ 
dred  feet  of  acetylene  gas  gives  more  light  than  a  thousand  feet  of  city 
gas. 

d'he  burners  of  an  acetylene  system  have  smaller  openings  than  the 
burners  used  with  city  gas,  so  that  you  not  only  get  a  much  better  and 
brighter  light  than  it  is  possible  to  get  with  city  gas  but  you  also  get  the 
full  benefit  of  the  unusual  richness  of  acetylene  gas  from  a  mone3^-saving 
standpoint. 

.A  city  gas  burner  producing  15  to  20  candle-power  light  burns  4  to 
5  cubic  feet  of  city  gas  per  hour. 

An  acetylene  burner  producing  25  candle-power  light,  burns  only 
one-half  of  a  cubic  foot  of  acetylene  gas  per  hour. 

Note  that  with  acetylene,  you  get  stronger  light  with  only  one- 
eighth  to  one-tenth  as  much  gas.  Good  carbide  costs  5  cents  per  pound. 

A  pound  of  carbide  produces  4^4  to  5  cubic  feet  of  acetylene  gas. 
(Remember  that  this  is  equal  to  45  to  50  cubic  feet  of  city  gas).  Thus 
a  25-candle-power  acetylene  light  will  burn  9  to  10  hours  on  5  cents 
worth  of  carbide,  or  a  cost  of  a  half-cent  per  hour. 

How  Much  Will  It  Cost  You  Per  Month? 

That,  of  course,  will  depend  on  how  many  lights  you  have  installed 
and  how  much  you  use  them.  Some  people  use  more  light  than  others, 
stay  up  later,  or  use  more  lights  at  one  time.  Then,  if  you  use  a  gas  stove 
or  iron,  you  will  burn  more  gas. 

But  to  give  you  a  general  idea,  here  are  six  reports  from  owners  of 
“Northern  Light”  Systems  that  fairly  represent  the  different  conditions 
among  the  hundreds  of  reports  we  have  on  file. 

“Am  still  running  on  a  charge  of  100  pounds  put  in  6  months  ago  and  have 
used  all  the  gas  needed  by  the  family.  We  have  9  lights  in  the  house,  2  in  the  barn 
and  1  in  the  yard.”  L.  F.  Anderson,  Olivia,  Minn. 

“I  have  19  lights  in  the  house  and  they  are  used  any  and  every  time  light  is 
needed.  I  use  only  400  pounds  of  carbide  per  year.”  Simeon  Nickels,  Bloom  City, 

Wis. 

“It  costs  US  about  $14  per  year  for  26  lights.”  G.  V.  Cotherman,  Granada,  Minn. 

“We  have  22  lights  in  2  houses.  We  use  about  400  pounds  of  carbide  per  year.” 

Mrs.C.  G.  Pisel,  Humboldt,  Iowa. 

“I  have  had  it  installed  for  4  years.  I  have  20  lights  and  we  use  the  gas  for 
cooking.  We  use  about  300  pounds  of  carbide  a  year.”  Peter  Yust,  Medford,  Minn. 

“I  have  30  lights  in  my  house,  barn  and  auto  shed.  I  use  200  pounds  of  carbide 
a  year  and  use  all  the  lights  I  have  use  for.”  A.  J.  Boddicker,  Watkins,  Iowa. 

By  averaging  up  all  these  reports,  we  find  that  the  average  cost  was 


Have  never  heard  of  anv  trouble  with  “Northern  Light”  plants. 

C.  L.  THURBER,  Chat  field,  Minn., 
Secretary  Security  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co. 


Much  as  lllimimating  Gas’' — Prof.  Pond 


9 


5  cents  per  light  per  month.  Thus  20  lights  cost  them  on  the  average  of  $i 
per  month.  Understand  that  this  is  the  average  for  the  whole  year.  In 
winter  you’ll  use  more  light,  of  course,  than  in  summer.  Stoves  use  more 
gas  than  lights. 

We  make  two  standard  size  plates  for  “Northern  Light”  acetylene 
gas  stoves — one  burns  3  cubic  feet  of  gas  per  hour ;  the  other  4  cubic 
feet  per  hour.  You  see  this  is  6  to  8  times  as  much  as  used  by  a  25  candle- 
power  light  burner. 

Of  one  thing  you  may  be  sure, — that  a  “Northern  Light”  Pit  Gener¬ 
ator  Acetylene  Lighting  System,  will  give  you  better,  safe  and  more  con¬ 
venient  light  than  any  other  home  lighting  system  at  no  greater  cost,  but 
in  all  probability  at  a  much  smaller  cost. 

The  Safety  of  Acetylene  Light 

Professor  Pond  says  that  “enough  gas  could  not  escape  from  a  wide 
open  burner  during  the  night  in  an  ordinary  room,  caulked  up  tight,  to 
cause  even  a  headache.  However,  should  there  be  the  least  escape  of  gas, 
it  would  be  immediately  known  by  the  irritating  odor,  sufficiently  pene¬ 
trating  to  awaken  a  sound  sleeper,  making  assurance  doubly  sure.” 

He  also  states :  “Acetylene  can  never  escape  without  revealing  its 
presence  by  reason  of  its  penetrating  odor.  The  effects  are  instant  and 
annoying,  favoring  the  probability  of  the  acetylene  leak  being  discov¬ 
ered.”  (Other  gases  have  a  soothing,  sleep-producing  effect.) 

“Asphyxiation,  in  the  sense  in  which 
we  know  it,  as  resulting  from  the  respira¬ 
tion  of  coal  gas,  is  entirely  unknown  to 
the  character  of  acetylene.” — Professor 
Pond. 

It  requires  ten  times  as  much  coal  or 
water  gas  to  produce  the  same  candle 
power  as  acetylene  gas.  In  other  words, 
in  the  use  of  acetylene  gas  the  average 
burner  consumes  one-half  cubic  foot  per 
hour  to  ffve  or  six  cubic  feet  per  hour  of 
other  gas  to  produce  the  same  light.  Any 
one  in  a  room  into  which  acetylene  gas 
was  escaping  would  therefore  have  ten 
to  twelve  times  longer  a  period  to  wait 
for  any  effect  from  acetylene  gas. 


Tc  also  have  the  gas  iron  attachment  which  has  made  ironing  in  the  country  a 
pleasure  rather  than  drudgery. 


JOHN  BRUECK. 


10 


The  '’‘Northern  Light’'  System  Makes 


There  is  not  a  case  of  asphyxiation  known  from  acetylene  gas,  nor 
any  injury  recorded  from  inhaling  acetylene  gas,  because  it  is  absolute¬ 
ly  free  from  any  poisonous  ingredient. 

'Ts  there  not  great  satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that  leaving  a  jet 
open  in  the  living  room  for  a  week  involves  no  peril  to  human  life?”  asks 
Professor  Pond. 

The  chance  of  explosion  has  been  absolutely  eliminated  in  the  im¬ 
proved  model  “Northern  Light”  Pit  Generator.  It’s  perfect  carbide  feed 
automatically  regulates  the  amount  of  gas  generated,  so  that  there  is 
never  more  than  2%  oz.  pressure  per  square  inch  in  the  system.  The  new 
refdling  device  enables  you  to  refill  generator  with  carbide  and  water, 
and  pump  out  sludge,  without  letting  in  any  air  and  when  there  is  no  air 
mixed  with  acetylene  gas,  it  cannot  be  ignited — it  has  no  power  or  force. 
These  and  other  safety  features  of  the  “Northern  Light”  System  are  fully 
explained  on  following  pages. 

“Northern  Light’’  Approved  by  Underwriters 

It  is  well  known  that  the  best  corps  of  engineers  and  experts  are  em¬ 
ployed  at  the  Underwriters’  Laboratories  of  Chicago.  After  rigid  tests 
and  careful  experiments,  they  have  passed  our  “Northern  Light”  Pit 
Generator  as  a  safe  device.  Insurance  companies  always  advise  outside 
generators  when  installing  gas  machines.  Your  rates  of  insurance  are  les¬ 
sened  rather  than  raised  by  installing  one  of  our  “Northern  Light”  Pit 
Generators.  The  listing  of  our  system  by  the  National  Board  of  Insur¬ 
ance  speaks  volumes  for  its  safety. 

W&  have  letters  from  officials  of  ten  different  fire  insurance 
companies,  in  which  they  approve  the  “Northern  Light”  System.  Here 
are  extracts  from  some  of  these  letters. 

“Our  records  show  that  we  have  never  had  a  loss  directly  or  in¬ 
directly  caused  by  your  system.  We  have  no  hesitancy  in  writing  risks 
so  lighted,  in  fact,  we  consider  them  preferred  risks  over  those  lighted 
by  other  systems.” — Implement  Dealers  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  of 
North  Dakota. 

“We  would  prefer  to  write  buildings  equipped  with  this  system 
than  to  have  them  use  old  style  lanterns  and  lamps.”  Security  Mutual 
Fire  Insurance  Co. 

“An  investigation  of  this  lighting  system  by  the  writer  has  con¬ 
vinced  us  that  it  is  one  of  the  safest  lighting  systems  offered  for  sale  by 
any  company  in  America.” — Minnesota  Implement  Mutual  Fire  Insur¬ 
ance  Co. 


I  will  put  it  up  against  any  light  and  I’ll  just  bet  that  the  Clefton  Company  has 
them  all  beat. 

GEORGE  B.  W ELZEL,  Postville,  Iowa. 


Acetyle7ie  lAght  Safe  fo7'  any  Ho777e  11 

Features  of  the  “Northern  Light” — Safest 
of  Home  Lighting  Systems 

“Simplicity  itself”  is  what  you  will  say  after  looking  over  the  cut¬ 
away  view  of  the  “Northern  Light”  Generator  as  shown  on  the  two  cen¬ 
ter  pages  of  this  book. 

W’c  have  made  it  so  simple  and  perfect  in  design  and  construction 
that  everything  about  it  is  absolutely  automatic,  except  replenishing  the 
carbide  and  water  from  three  to  six  times  a  year  (depending  on  how 
much  gas  you  use  for  lighting  and  cooking). 

W'e  have  even  made  the  operation  of  cleaning  out  the  sludge  a  safe, 
clean,  pleasant  job. 

Our  trained  expert  takes  all  the  worries  of  installation  off  your 
shoulders.  W  hen  he  leaves,  you  may  be  sure  that  all  it  is  necessary  for 
you  to  do  is  to  turn  lights  on  and  off'  for  the  next  two  to  four  months, 
after  which  time  it  may  be  necessary  for  you  to  replenish  the  supply  of 
carbide. 

Perfect  Automatic  Carbide  Feed 

In  this  exclusive  “Northern  Light”  feature  you  get  one  of  the  big¬ 
gest  advantages  over  any  and  all  other  acetylene  lighting  systems — you 
get  a  feature  that  makes  assurance  doubly  sure,  that  affords  you  the 
greatest  safety  and  security. 

Study  carefully  the  diagram  in 
the  center  of  this  book  and  the  il¬ 
lustration  on  this  page  and  you 
will  see  how  this  automatic  feed 
works.  Note  the  measuring  cups 
under  the  carbide  holder  with 
feed  valves  between  them  and  the 
opening  in  the  bottom  of  the  car¬ 
bide  holder,  and  the  other  feed 
valves  under  the  measuring  cup. 

As  the  supply  of  gas  in  the  gas- 
bell  is  slowly  exhausted,  the  gas- 
bell  lowers  gradually.  Now,  note 
that  the  automatic  feeding  device 
is  connected  by  a  shaft  with  the 
double  feeding  valves.  As  the 
gas-bell  lowers,  it  touches  the 
contact  point  which  trips  the  au¬ 
tomatic  feeding  device  and  this  in 
turn  operates  the  double  feeding  valves  under  the  carbide  holder.  These 
feeding  valves  open,  depositing  onl}^  a  sufficient  supply  of  carbide  re- 


/f  was  cheaper  than  any  plant  I  know  of.  IV.  G.  WOOD,  Granada,  Minn. 


14 


'"'‘No  Other  Gas  Gives  so  Great  a  Yield 


gardless  of  whether  one  or  one  hundred  lights  are  in  use.  An  over-sup¬ 
ply  is  impossible.  This  carbide  supply  is  deposited  into  a  large  amount 
of  water.  As  distinguished  from  the  type  where  the  water  is  dropped  on 
the  carbide,  Professor  Pond  says  it  is  “the  most  rational  plan.”  When  the 
charge  is  deposited  in  the  water,  acetylene  gas  is  formed  at  once  and  ris¬ 
ing  through  the  water,  which  washes  it  as  it  rises,  fills  the  gas  chamber 
around  the  carbide  holder,  passing  from  there  through  the  holes  near  the 
top  into  the  gas-bell. 

As  the  gas-bell  is  filled,  it  rises,  closing  the  carbide  feeding  valves, 
which  do  not  re-open  until  sufficient  gas  has  been  consumed  to  allow 
the  gas-bell  to  lower  and  trip  the  automatic  feeding  device  again. 

From  the  bell  the  gas  is  taken  into  the  filter,  where  it  is  purified  and 
then  carried  through  the  supply  pipe  to  the  house  and  furnished  to  the 
burners  in  the  form  of  cool,  pure  acetylene.  Should  the  slightest  particle 
of  moisture  still  remain  in  the  gas  after  it  has  passed  through  the  filter, 
it  is  automatically  discharged  into  the  condensation  chamber. 

The  whole  operation  is  slow,  gradual,  automatic  and  positive.  The 
apparatus  is  so  simple  and  free  from  friction  in  its  operation  that  there 
is  no  chance  for  it  to  get  out  of  order  or  fail  to  operate  perfectly. 

This  perfect  feeding  device  automatically  and  positively  controls 
the  amount  of  gas  in  the  system  at  all  times  so  that  there  is  a  uniform 
pressure  in  the  pipes  of  2%  ounces. 

In  the  view  of  the  generator  referred  to,  the  gas-bell  is  shown  in  the 
position  it  assumes  when  filled  with  gas.  Notice  particularly  the  depth 
to  which  the  bottom  of  the  gas-bell  extends  into  the  water.  This  is  a 
very  important  feature,  as  the  (kerosene  used  in  cold  climates)  or  water 
forms  a  perfect  seal,  that  confines  the  gas  to  the  gas-bell  and  absolutely 
does  away  with  any  chance  of  the  gas  getting  into  the  outer  chamber  of 
the  generator. 

The  outer  wall  of  the  generator,  the  gas-bell,  the  carbide  holder  and 
the  inner  wall  of  the  gas-bell  chamber  are  all  made  of  “Armco  Iron,” 
which  is  sufificient  guarantee  of  quality  and  long  life. 

Reserve  Carbide  Supply 

The  reserve  carbide  supply  chamber  is  plainly  shown  in  the  picture 
of  the  generator  on  the  two  center  pages.  When  the  supply  of  carbide 
in  the  main  chamber  is  exhausted,  which  is  as  likely  to  happen  at  night  as 
at  any  other  time,  a  sufficient  amount  of  gas  may  be  supplied  to  last  for 
several  hours,  by  simply  pulling  up  the  plunger  valve,  which  is  plainly 
seen  in  the  picture,  thus  releasing  this  reserve  supply  of  carbide. 

When  this  is  necessary,  you  must  be  sure  to  refill  the  generator  and 
reserve  chamber  with  carbide  on  the  following  day.  This  is  also  the 
proper  time  to  pump  out  the  sludge  and  refill  the  generator  with  fresh 
water. 


Never  had  any  trouble  with  it  and  have  had  the  plant  for  three  or  four  years. 

MRS.  IDA  RADDATZ,  Clements,  Minn.  R.  F.  D.  No.  i. 


of  Light"  —  Leeds  &  Butterfield 


15 


Absolutely  Safe  Refilling  Device 

'I'his  new  patented  feature,  which  can  be  had  only  with  the  “North¬ 
ern  Light”  Acetylene  Lighting  System,  is  the  most  revolutionizdng  de¬ 
velopment  in  the  acetylene  lighting  industry  for  many  years. 

To  understand  the  importance  of  this  invention,  it  is  only  necessary 
for  you  to  know  that  pure  acetylene  gas,  without  air  mixed  in,  cannot 
ignite  and  has  no  power  or  force.  Any  chemist  will  tell  you  that. 


Think  it  much  easier  to  take  care  of  than  an  electric  plant. 

JOHN  GEFFE,  Whitehall,  Wis. 


16 


Unequaied  Acetylene  Light  Made  Safe^  Handy^ 


Therefore  the  reason  that  this  new  refilling  device  makes  the 
“Northern  Light”  system  so  safe  is  because  it  enables  you  to  refill  the 
generator  with  carbide,  pump  out  the  “sludge”  (which  we  explain  furth¬ 
er  on)  and  pour  in  fresh  water  without  letting  any  air  into  the  generator. 

Moreover,  it  makes  the  entire  operation  of  recharging  the  generator 
a  simple,  easy,  clean  job,  taking  less  than  an  hour  at  the  most,  usually 
less  than  a  half  hour  after  you’ve  done  it  once  or  twice.  (And  remember 
that  this  is  the  only  attention  required  to  operate  the  “Northern  Light” 
system  and  that  you  only  have  to  do  it  a  few  times  a  year.) 

Putting  in  the  Carbide 

This  feature  saves  you  money,  too,  as  it  avoids  waste  of  gas  and 
carbide — increases  the  efificiency  of  each  can  of  carbide  from  5  per  cent 
to  10  per  cent  and  saves  the  annoyance  of  having  to  burn  lights  that  are 
lessened  in  brightness  by  the  air  mixture  for  several  hours  after  recharg¬ 
ing.  The  illustration  on  page  15  shows  what  a  simple  job  it  is  to  refill 
the  generator  with  carbide.  First  close  the  cock  at  the  generator,  cutting 
oft'  the  supply  of  gas  to  the  buildings,  then  remove  the  top  cover  of  the 
generator,  take  out  the  reserve  supply  chamber,  insert  the  spout,  which 
is  a  part  of  our  equipment,  and  pour  in  the  carbide. 

Notice  that  is  is  not  necessary  to  remove  the  carbide  holder  or  gas- 
bell.  You  will  note  also  that  our  construction  leaves  no  possibility  of 
even  a  single  grain  of  carbide  getting  anywhere  except  into  the  carbide 
holder.  If  any  carbide  is  spilled,  it  must  fall  outside  the  carbide  holder 
and  gas-bell  where  it  can  do  no  harm.  This  relieves  you  of  the  respon¬ 
sibility  that  is  connected  with  the  operation  of  many  so-called  acetylene 
generators. 

When  generator  is  filled  the  first  time,  after  just  being  installed, 
the  next  thing  to  do  after  filling  the  holder  with  carbide  is  to  pour  in  the 
water  thru  the  water  intake  funnel,  as  shown  in  illustration  on  page  18. 

Only  the  required  amount  of  water  can  be  put  in,  for  the  reason  that 
the  water  gauge,  which  you  can  clearly  see  in  the  illustration  in  the 
center  of  the  book,  automatically  closes  the  valve  at  the  bottom  of  the 
water  intake  funnel,  when  the  water  has  reached  the  proper  level  in  the 
generator.  This  is  another  feature  that  relieves  you  of  any  guessing  of 
just  what  to  do  in  operating  the  “Northern  Light”  System. 

Idle  generator  then  starts  to  work  making  gas,  which  forces  the  air 
out  of  the  gas-bell  and  pipes  leading  to  the  lighting  fixtures  when  the 
burners  are  open.  After  the  lights  are  used  a  little  while,  say  long  enough 
to  use  a  few  i)ounds  of  the  first  filling  of  carbide,  the  air  is  comi)letely  ex¬ 
pelled  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  gas-bell  and  pipes  but  pure  acetylene 
gas.  (ddiis  first  filling  is  done  by  the  Clefton  Co.,  mechanics  who  install 


I  must  say  if  is  a  dandy.  Have  had  it  two  years  and  have  only  itsed  four 
hundred  pounds  of  carbide  and  am  using  ten  lights. 

A.  K.  JOHN  SOX,  Milton,  N.  D. 


Cheap — With  the  Northern  LighN  Systejji 


17 


the  ])lant,  and  who  will  also  explain  the  operation  of  the  “Northern 
Light”  System  to  you). 

The  generator  is  FREE  from  all  air  forever  thereafter,  unless  the 
machine  be  o])ene(l  up  for  some  purpose  and  in  that  event  the 
same  process  of  air  expulsion  would  be  complete  after  burning  a  few 
pounds  of  the  first  charge  of  carbide.  Gas  engineers  have  long  studied 
the  problem  of  an  air-free  gas-bell  and  our  engineers  have  produced  it. 

Exhaustive  scientific  tests  of  the  “Northern  Light”  acetylene  gen¬ 
erator  have  proven  it  to  be  absolutely  air-tight  in  construction  and  posi¬ 
tively  air-free  after  the  air  has  been  expelled  as  explained  above.  In  these 
tests,  the  acetylene  gas-bell  could  not  be  ignited  by  hot  sparks  from  a 
battery  of  13  dry  cells  and  2  spark  coils.  We  shall  be  glad  to  send  you 
a  complete  report  of  these  official  tests,  which  were  witnessed  by  many 
])rominent  citizens,  and  which,  as  one  of  them  expressed  it,  “established 
beyond  question  the  fact  that  acetylene  gas  when  properly  handled,  as 
it  is  in  the  “Northern  Light”  System,  is  just  as  safe  as  any  other  lighting 
method,  while  it  is  infinitely  more  to  be  desired  as  a  lighting  and  cooking 
gas  than  any  other.” 


\\  hen  the  carbide  comes  in  contact  with  the  water,  it  forms  acety¬ 
lene  gas  and  when  this  gas  is  released,  the  solid  parts  of  the  carbide 
which  we  call  “sludge,”  (but  which  is  really  only  slacked  lime),  is  de¬ 
posited  in  the  bottom  of  the  generator. 

Instead  of  being  a  disagreeable  mess  that  is  hard  to  dispose  of,  this 
sludge,  (“slacked  lime”)  is  highly  valued  for  several  purposes.  It  can  be 
used  as  a  fertilizer,  to  sweeten  land  or  as  a  whitewash  to  sweeten  cellars 
and  rooms  that  have  become  musty,  and  to  paint  fences,  chicken  houses, 
etc. 

W  e  have  made  the  removal  of  this  sludge  from  the  “Northern 
Light”  generator  an  easy,  clean,  safe  job.  First,  attach  the  removable 
handle  that  comes  with  the  outfit  to  rod  (A)  (See  large  diagram  illustra¬ 
tion  in  center  of  book)  and  work  the  rod  back  and  forth  a  few  times. 
This  operates  the  small  sludge  agitator  shown  in  the  diagram  illustra¬ 
tion.  Then  attach  to  agitator  rod  on  the  opposite  side  of  generator 
which  operates  the  large  sludge  agitator.  These  agitators  stir  up  the  de¬ 
posits  of  sludge  in  bottom  of  generator  and  mix  it  with  the  water.  Then 
you  attach  the  pump  (which  comes  with  the  outfit)  to  sludge  outlet  pipe 
(A)  and  pump  out  the  water  and  sludge  as  shown  in  illustration  on  page 
18.  Pumping  the  water  out  of  the  water  chamber  acts  in  connection 
with  the  feeding  device  the  same  as  drawing  gas  thru  the  burners.  Car- 


JVould  not  be  without  it  for  three  times  its  cost. 

REV.  JAMES  MULLIGAN,  Dubuque,  lozva, 
Pastor  of  Catholic  Church,  Key  West. 


18 


The  Norther Ji  Lighf — With  hnprovea 


bide  will  be  deposited  in  the  remaining  water  and  will  make  gas  which 
will  fill  the  place  vacated  by  the  water  pumped  out. 

Gas-Bell  Seal.  The  keresone  or  water  in  gas-bell  chamber  acts  as 
the  seal  which  prevents  any  air  getting  into, the  gas-bell.  The  bottom  of 
the  generator  is  so  built  that  only  a  certain  amount  of  water  can  be 
pumped  out,  so  that  there  is  always  enough  water  remaining  to  make 
a  perfect  air-tight  seal. 

The  sludge  can’t  spill  into  the  water  chamber  where  the  gas-bell 
works,  because  of  our  improved  niethod  of  removing  the  sludge  with  a 
pump.  The  gas-bell  always  operates  in  kerosene  or  clean  water,  which  is 
free  from  sludge,  and  not  in  the  water  in  which  the  carbide  is  deposited. 
This  kerosene  or  clean  water  insures  free  action  of  the  gas-bell  at  all 
times.  This  is  another  long  step  forward. 

Automatic  Gas  Outlet  Pipe.  After  the  sludge-filled  water  is  pumped 
out,  you  pour  in  the  fresh  water.  Right  here  is  where  one  of  the  features 
of  our  new  method  of  refilling  the  generator  comes  into  play.  On  the 
right  hand  side  of  the  diagram  illustration  in  center  of  book  you  will  find 
the  “automatic  gas  outlet  pipe”  indicated  (about  third  way  up  from  bot¬ 
tom  of  generator).  On  the  top  of  gas-bell,  near  right  hand  edgc,you  will 
see  the  cap  covering  gas  outlet  pipe. 

As  you  pour  water  in  the  intake  funnel,  the  gas  bell  will  rise  to  a 


Your  “Northern  Light”  pit  generator  is  a  perfect  machine. 

MARTIN  KENNA,  R.  No.  2,  Dubuque,  lozoa. 


Generator — the  Safest  Home  Lighting  System 


19 


point  where  the  surplus  gas  in  it  will  automatically  escape  through  the 
gas  outlet  pipe  into  the  open  air.  No  personal  attention  is  required — the 
arrangement  is  entirely  automatic.  Gas  will  escape  from  this  pipe  and 
from  under  the  cap  only  while  water  is  being  replaced  in  the  water 
chamber.  As  soon  as  the  correct  amount  of  water  has  been  placed  in  the 
generator,  the  gas  bell  will  resume  its  normal  position  which  in  turn  will 
automatically  seal  the  automatic  gas  outlet  pipe  and  it  will  remain  so 
until  the  operation  is  repeated. 

This  small  amount  of  gas  that  is  forced  out  when  you  pour  in  the 
fresh  water  is  simply  the  surplus  generated  to  fill  the  space  created  in  the 
lower  water  chamber  when  you  pump  out  the  old  sludge-laden  water.  As 
it  is  so  small  in  amount  and  as  it  escapes  out  into  the  open  air,  it  is  ab¬ 
solutely  harmless.  The  important  advantage  gained  by  this  feature  is 
that  it  does  away  with  the  necessity  of  letting  air  into  the  generator,  so 
that  there  is  never  a  confined  mixture  of  air  and  gas. 

Compare  this  “Northern  Light”  System  with  the- many  forms  of 
gasoline-gas,  coal-gas,  and  other  gas  systems  which  depend  for  their 
operation  upon  a  mixture  of  air  and  gas  confined  in  a  container.  Consider 
that  the  “Northern  Light”  System  confines  only  an  absolutely  pure 
acetylene  gas,  which  cannot  ignite  and  has  no  power  force,  and  which 
secures  the  necessary  mixture  of  oxygen  to  make  it  burn  only  when  it 
comes  out  of  the  burner  tip — and  you  will  understand  why  fire  insurance 
company  officials  and  other  authorities  have  stamped  the  “Northern 
Light”  System  with  their  approval  as  the  safest  artificial  lighting  system 
in  the  world. 

All  “Northern  Light”  Systems  Installed 
by  Factory  Experts 

Every  “Northern  Light”  installation  is  made  by  our  own  trained 
men — who  are  sent  right  from  our  factory  to  your  place — men  who  have 
nothing  else  but  this  kind  of  work  and  know  how  to  do  it  right.  They 
can  and  do  install  “Northern  Light”  Systems  in  the  finest  homes  without 
doing  the  slightest  damage  to  walls,  woodwork,  floors,  or  furniture  and 
without  making  a  lot  of  muss  and  litter. 

Yet  the  piping  is  all  concealed  in  the  walls  or  between  the  floors  and 
ceilings.  “The  installing  was  certainly  a  surprise  to  me”  writes  Mr.  G.  C. 
Coodspeed,  Waseca,  Minn.,  “the  way  he  stuck  pipes  all  over  the  house 
and  left  no  trail  behind  him  was  a  revelation  to  yours  truly”.  “Your  IMr. 
Nelson  did  an  excellent  piece  of  work  in  my  house  and  twice  as  quick  as 
I  expected,”  reports  Mr.  E.  V.  Wright,  South  WMles,  N.  Y.  AT  have 
many  more  letters  praising  the  skill,  conduct,  courtesy  and  quality  of 
work  of'  our  installation  experts. 

' ; .  aci' 

It  is  not  nearly  as  expensive  as  the  electric  light  of  my  friends  in  the  city. 

MICHAEL  GAMBLE,  Mankato,  Minn.  R.  R.  No.  6. 


20 


‘‘''Acetylene  Most  Nearly  Resembles 


Every  joint  is  put  together  with  threads  and  malleable  iron  fittings, 
white-leaded  and  screwed  together  tightly,  just  the  same  as  in  high  class 
plumbing  work.  This  pipe  continues  on  to  the  fixtures  and  extends 
down  through  the  center  to  the  arm  of  the  fixture,  which  is  made  of  very 
heavy  material.  There  is  no  possible  chance  for  a  leak  once  installed  by 
our  mechanic. 

Every  Installation  Carefully  Inspected.  After  the  piping  is  all  com- 
])letely  installed,  caps  are  put  on  the  ends  of  the  pipes  and  a  heavy  air 
pressure  is  i)laced  upon  the  piping.  The  air  pressure  pump  used  for  this 
test  has  a  gauge  which  registers  the  number  of  pounds  of  air  pressure. 
You  are  invited  to  watch  this  test,  and  if  the  gauge  should  vary  a  particle 
in  30  minutes,  our  mechanic  will  go  over  every  joint  from  the  generator 
to  the  last  piece  of  pipe  in  the  house  and  locate  any  leaks  if  there  happens 
to  be  any. 

The  installation  will  take  only  a  few  days  and  will  not  cause  you 
the  slightest  inconvenience.  Our  men  are  under  bond  and  you  will  take 
no  risk  in  letting  them  into  your  home.  They  will  not  leave  your  premises 
until  you  are  satisfied  with  the  installation  and  know  that  you  are  going 
to  get  satisfactory  service  with  your  “Northern  Light”  System.  They  will 
carefully  explain  its  operation  to  you,  and  make  the  first  filling  of  the 
generator,  leaving  everything  all  ready  for  you  to  turn  on  the  lights. 

Next  to  the  perfection  of  the  generator  itself,  the  skill  and  care  used 
in  the  installation  of  the  “Northern  Light”  Acetylene  Lighting  System  is 
the  thing  that  has  contributed  most  of  its  success  and  safety.  Our  respon¬ 
sibility  does  not  cease  even  there,  as  our  guaranty  obligates  us  to  see 
that  nothing  goes  wrong  with  your  generator  for  the  next  five  years. 
(See  last  page.) 

The  fact  that  “Northern  Light”  Systems  are  installed  in  State  Univer¬ 
sities,  county,  state  and  government  institutions,  schools,  hospitals, 
churches,  factories,  stores,  summer  resorts,  opera  houses,  etc.,  as  well  as 
in  private  homes,  is  positive  proof  of  the  confidence  of  the  officials  and 
owners  of  such  institutions  in  the  safety  and  perfection  of  this  system. 


I  zvant  to  tell  you  hozju  I  like  your  light  plant.  I  am  more  than  pleased  and  zvould 
not  think  of  parting  zvith  it  for  twice  the  cost.  It’s  worth  its  zveight  in  gold.  It  would 
be  a  punishment  for  me  nozv  to  have  to  go  back  to  the  old  greas>y,  smoky,  dirty  la)iips 
again  after  using  your  lights,  as  bright  as  day  with  no  dirt  to  clean,  and  alzvays  ready 
to  light  with  a  single  twist  of  the  wrist.  I  truthfully  can  say  your  “Northern  Light" 
System  is  a  God-sent  blessing  and  may  vou  prove  successful  in  selling  it  to  the  zvorld. 

'MRS.  A.  L.  MORRIS,  Woonsocket,  S.  D. 


Su?ili^bf^ — Leeds  &  Butterfield 


2J 


Installed  in  Schools,  Churches,  Halls, 
Stores,  Theatres,  Etc. 

Our  “Northern  Light”  System  is  playing  a  very  important  and 
growing  ])art  in  the  development  of  community  life  in  the  country  and 
small  towns.  In  churches,  schools,  club  houses,  halls  and  stores,  the 
beautiful  glow  of  acetylene  is  attracting  folks  to  church  services,  social 
gatherings,  instructive  meetings,  and  in  a  very  effective  way  hel])ing  the 
“get-together”  s])irit  of  modern  times  in  rural  communities. 

The  Best  Cooking  Fuel  for  Domestic  Science  Classes 

The  convenience  and  the  value  of  acetylene  gas  stoves  in  church 
kitchens,  in  Farmers  Club  kitchens  and  in  the  Domestic  Science  classes 
of  the  schools,  have  been  thoroug'hly  proven  by  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
many  such  institutions  for  whom  we  have  installed  satisfactory  systems. 
State  Universities  in  their  extension  work  in  Domestic  Science  and  Agri¬ 
cultural  School  laboratories  are  almost  daily  recognizing  the  superiority 
of  acetylene  gas  for  these  departments  as  compared  with  any  other 
means  of  cooking. 

The  University  of  Minnesota  had  an  examination  of  our  system 
made  by  Pillsbury  N  Company,  of  IVIinneapolis,  the  consulting  engineers 
for  all  state  contracts,  and  were  so  satisfied  with  their  report  and  ap- 
])roval  that  they  purchased  two  systems  for  use  in  their  Extension  Do¬ 
mestic  Science  Departments  and  Agricultural  School  Laboratories. 

Mr.  H.  C.  Pochler,  Superintendent  of  Le Sueur  Center  (IMinn.)  Public 
Schools  writes:  “In  reply  to  your  rectuest  as  to  whether  our  “Northern 
Light”  acetylene  system  is  successful  or  not,  I  will  say  that  it  is.  The 
Domestic  Science  teachers  like  the  plant.  It  is  very  clean,  acts  quick¬ 
ly,  does  not  clog,  requires  no  cleaning  and  is  economical.  We  have  12 
Bunsen  burners  in  the  Chemistry  Laboratory  and  10  hot  plates  in  the 
Domestic  Science  Department.  use  on  an  average  of  about  70 

pounds  of  carbide  a  month.” 

Superintendent  B.  B.  Bassett  of  the  Humbolt  (Iowa)  Public  Schools 
writes  :  “dTree  years  ago  you  installed  a  gas  plant  for  our  Domestic 
Science  De])artment  and  it  has  been  very  satisfactory.  We  find  that  it  is 
inexpensive  as  comi)ared  with  other  kinds  of  fuel  and  meets  our  needs  in 
every  particular.” 

Mr.  R.  j.  Bradley,  Superintendent  of  the  Independent  School  Dis¬ 
trict  of  Armstrong  Grove,  Armstrong,  Iowa,  writes:  “We  are  using 


Consider  it  a  very  great  iinproveme)it  over  any  other  system  that  we  have  inves¬ 
tigated. 


G.  V.  COTHERMAN,  Granada,  !Jinn. 


22 


The  ‘‘‘'Northern  Light"  System  Removes 


your  “Northern  Light”  Generator  for  Domestic  Science  and  Science 
Laboratory  purposes.  Wc  have  averaged  about  two  cooking  classes  a 
day  there  being  i8  in  one  class  and  8  in  the  other,  d'he  larger  class  has 
done  more  cooking  than  the  average  domestic  science  class  would  do  for 
it  has  cooked  every  day  and  has  had  charge  of  the  preparation  of  the  food 
for  our  school  cafeteria  ;  which  has  fed  on  the  average  about  30  i)eople 
every  noon.  Our  cooking  classes  have  80  minute  periods,  but  of  course 
are  not  using  the  stoves  all  the  time.  We  have  a  party  or  taffy  pull  at 
the  school  building  at  least  once  a  month  and  all  cooking  has  been  done 
in  the  domestic  science  room.  Our  average  use  of  Carbide  is  about  200 
pounds  per  School  Month. 

The  Company  Behind  the  “Northern 

Light”  System 

has  made  a  life  study  of  lighting  systems  for  country  homes  and  has  had 
many  years’  experience  in  the  manufacture  of  acetylene  lighting  plants. 

About  eight  years  ago  the  Clefton  Company  put  on  the  market  the 
first  successful  open  pit  type  of  acetylene  generator.  This  was  the  first 
big  stej)  forward  in  acetylene  lighting  systems,  because  it  took  the  gen¬ 
erator  out  of  the  basement  of  the  house,  where  it  was  a  nuisance  to  say 
the  least,  and  put  it  outside  in  the  ground  where  it  was  out  of  the  way 
and  safe. 

For  eight  years  we  have  worked  unceasingly  to  perfect  this  pit  gen¬ 
erator  to  a  point  where  it  would  stand  the  severest  tests,  the  most  minute 
scrutiny  and  the  keenest  competition. 

The  test  of  time  and  service  in  thousands  of  homes,  plus  scientific 
tests  made  by  the  Clefton  Company  engineers  and  the  investigations  by 
fire  insurance  company  officials  have  proven  the  present  model  “North¬ 
ern  Light”  Generator  described  in  this  book  to  be  the  most  complete, 
most  convenient,  best  designed,  best  constructed  home  lighting  machine 
on  the  market  today — and  that  it  is  installed  and  operated  with  the  least 
work,  the  least  trouble  and  the  least  annoyance. 


/In  investir/ation  has  convinced  ns  that  it  is  one  of  the  safest  lighting  systems  of¬ 
fered  for  sale  by  any  company  in  America.  C.  I.  BUXTON ,  Secretary  Minnesota  Im¬ 
plement  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  Oivatonna,  Minn. 


the  hast  Ohjectiou  to  j4cetylene  I  a  gh  ting 


23 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Clefton  Company 

is  shown  by  this  rejirocluction  of  a  letter  from  the  biggest  bank  in  Owa- 
tonna,  ^Minnesota.  If  you  wish,  we  will  be  glad  to  have  you  investigate 
our  standing  even  further. 


To  The  Public : 

It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  write  concerning  the  excellent 
financial  condition  and  splendid  personal  qualities  of  the  officers 
and  directors  of  the  Clefton  Company  of  Owatonna. 

The  Clefton  Company  have  been  doing  business  with  us  for 
a  great  many  years  and  we  thus  have  had  an  opportunity  to  know  inti¬ 
mately  concerning  their  financial  progress  and  their  methods  of  do¬ 
ing  business  and  of  treating  their  customers. 

Therefore  it  is  that  we  can  say  without  qualification  that 
the  Company  is  amply  responsible  financially  and  that  the  officers 
and  directors  are  men  of  the  highest  integrity  and  standing  and  that 
all  customers  are  treated  honestly  and  fairly. 

It  is  also  within  our  personal  knowledge  that  the  Northern 
Light  Acetylene  Lighting  System  is  free  from  any  objectionable  fea¬ 
tures  and  is  absolutely  the  best. 


CKB-R 


Very  truly. 


President . 


Farm  electric  plants  zvill  have  to  undergo  much  improvement  before  being  much 
of  a  co)npetitor  zvitli  this  lighting  syston. 

IF.  J.  MADDOCK,  N.  D.  State  Representative ,  Placa,  N.  D. 


24  The  Norther?!  Lig^ht  J?)iproved  Acetylene  Jji^htin^  Syste??! 


Here  is  the  Guaranty  Behind  the 
“Northern  Light”  System 


We,  the  undersigned,  hereby  guarantee  that  the 
Northern  I,ight  Pit  Carbide  Generator  bearing  the 
above  number,  as  installed,  is  perfect  in  material 
and  workmanship  and  that  same  will  give  satisfac* 
tion,  if  kept  recharged  according  to  instructions. 
The  piping  is  guaranteed  to  be  free  from  gas  leaks 
according  to  Test  Report.  Any  part  of  the  Gener¬ 
ator  which  proves  defective  within  five  years,  will 
be  replaced  free,  if  rj^nrned  to  our  factory  at 
Owatonna,  Minn.  //  \ 


Gounteraiiined 


WHO  INSTALICD  THIS  SY8TSM 


Not  Valid  Until  Conntersi^ned. 


Read  this  guaranty  carefully.  Every  word  is  full  of  importance  to  you.  It  backs 
up  every  statement  made  in  this  book.  A  responsible  company  could  not  afford 
to  put  so  broad  a  guaranty  behind  any  but  a  thoroughly  reliable  article. 


/  have  used  lard,  oil,  kerosene,  gasoline,  electric,  but  I  find  the  carbide  by  far  the 
best  and  the  least  trouble  of  any.  It  requires  only  about  one-half  hour  of  time  ezery 
six  or  seven  iveeks  to  recharge  the  generator. 

M.  IF.  BAKER,  Walnut  Crave,  Minn. 


'ir. 


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Y  t  ‘  ^  *, 

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V-w  , 


AVERV  LlBSARif 


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*  A- 


